Fuel

In spite of wide-spread coach training, unfortunately, many leaders still are not using coaching skills to grow and develop their people. Instead, many leaders still believe in their role as a problem solver, cutting short conversations with employees by providing solutions, advice, and answers.

As a corporate consultant and executive coach, I often observe managers not using a valuable tool – coaching conversations. Yet executives and middle managers who do use a coaching style usually find that their employees are more committed, willing to put in greater effort, show more resilience, and are more committed to the company mission.

“Clearly, the benefits of building a coaching culture and increasing the effectiveness of coaching are great. There are both tangible benefits (increased employee engagement and productivity) and intangible benefits (improved culture and finding meaning and purpose in work).”
~ John H. Zenger and Kathleen Stinnett, The Extraordinary Coach: How the Best Leaders Help Others Grow, McGraw-Hill, 2010

In spite of learning coaching skills, many managers struggle to have effective coaching conversations that lead to insights and change. A checklist for coaching conversations can help.

I’ve supported tons of public and private sector executives with creating coaching conversations as a part of their corporate culture using Zenger and Stinnett’s FUEL model:

• F = Frame the Conversation. Set the context by agreeing on the purpose of the conversation, process, and desired outcome.
• U = Understand the Current State. Explore the current state from the employee’s point of view. Expand the employee’s awareness of the situation to determine the real coaching issue.
• E = Explore the Desired State. Help the employee to articulate a vision of success in this scenario. Explore multiple alternative paths before prioritizing methods of achieving this vision.
• L = Lay Out a Success Plan. Identify the specific, time-bounded action steps to be taken to achieve the desired results. Determine milestones for follow-up and accountability.

Are you using checklists or frameworks in your work?  My team of executive coaches and trainers are ready to support you with creating a work environment that fuels you and your team.

Be well.

Sophia